It’s all systems go for the biggest celebration of Music in Ghana, the 20th Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, starting this Saturday 11th May, 2019 with the most anticipated outdoor concert ever to hit the capital Accra; the 20th Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Experience Concert!

Happening for the first time in the 20-year history of the scheme, the VGMA Experience Concert, unlike the Nominees Jam is designed to set the tone for GH Music’s Biggest Night on Saturday 18th May.

The Concert, which holds at the Independence Square, this Saturday 11th May from 7pm boasts of some of the hottest names in GH Music and will feature for the first time together on one stage in one night, Ghana’s 4S; Sarkodie, Samini, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy! Other acts scheduled to rock the big stage on the night include Adane Best, Adina, Akese Brempong, Kwesi Arthur, Tinny and a host of others.

Having put in place adequate safety and security measures for the big night, organisers are convinced that the event which will also feature some of the young and upcoming artistes in GH will live up to the hype and give patrons an experience akin to the world famous Glastonbury and Coachella festivals.
Admission is absolutely free.

Set to be aired live on TV3, DSTV Channel 196 and GOTV Channel 129, the maiden Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Experience Concert, which takes place at the Independence Square, this Saturday 11th May 2019, promises to be an unforgettable and exciting event that music lovers cannot afford to miss.

It is instructive to note however that the VGMA Experience Concert is the precursor to the main event, the 20th Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Night slated for Saturday 18th May at the Conference Centre.

The night, dubbed GH Music’s biggest Night will see performances from some of the country’s biggest and hottest acts with other performing artistes from Nigeria, South Africa, The Barbados and more.

Tickets are selling now at Nallem Stores at all the malls and Charterhouse for 400 cedis platinum and 250 cedis Gold. Patrons can enjoy a 10% discount on limited tickets purchased via Vodafone Cash.

The 20th Vodafone Ghana Music Awards is a Charterhouse Ghana Event with support from Media General, Yfm, DSTV, GOtv, KPMG, Graphic Showbiz and proudly connected by Vodafone.

This month, AirtelTigo, the country’s second-largest telecommunications operator is marking its historic one-year anniversary with a long-term strategy to pursue growth, innovation and transforming lives in communities.

In a message to employees, the Chief Executive Officer for AirtelTigo, Mrs Mitwa Ng’ambi, commended the staff for their professionalism, expertise and determination during the integration period.

“I commend you all for your contribution to our organization and I’m proud of you for being part of the first telecommunications merger in Ghana. You have made history and reflecting on the past year comes to mind the significant role you have played for us to achieve our key milestones,” said Mrs Ng’ambi.

“As we celebrate our one-year anniversary, I am excited to announce that we have successfully completed our nationwide network integration and major upgrades. This marks the beginning of a new chapter for AirtelTigo, where we aim to deliver innovative solutions and an even greater experience for customers across all our touch points,” she told employees.

Through the one big network, customers stand to benefit from a wider network coverage and improved internet speeds, backed with affordable and innovative offers. The company will also provide businesses with solutions to accelerate digital transformation and growth.

Mrs Ng’ambi pointed out that the company has a line-up of activities to celebrate the anniversary by showing its appreciation to its staff, customers and other stakeholders for their contribution in the journey thus far.

She expressed the company’s gratitude to all stakeholders for their support, patience and understanding throughout the network upgrade process.

When singer and Made-In-Ghana Ambassador, Emelia Arthur mentions ‘Too Loaded’, she is not only referring to the title of her latest single, but also to the fact that Ghana is an extremely endowed land and we must patronise the goodies God has ‘loaded’ us with.

As a way of helping to bring a variety of local products to a central point for all to patronise, she is organising the Ade Wo Fie Oye Made- In- Ghana Fair from December 7 to December 9 at the Odupongkpehe Park, Kasoa in the Central Region.

The fair is expected to attract manufacturers of edibles, drinkables, clothing, pharmaceuticals, kitchenware and other products to showcase the sort of quality stuff being made here.

Ms Arthur, whose ‘Too Loaded’ track has been released on digital platforms, said the fair is a chance for all to do an early pre-Christmas shopping at good prices.

“We have encouraged the exhibitors to reduce their prices at the fair so attendants would have more impetus to buy. There is no need for people to wait till December 24 before rushing out to shop,” she said.

Ms Arthur was in January 2016, officially selected by the Ministry of Trade and Industry as the face of its Made-in-Ghana Campaign.

She has since then been actively engaged with bringing more awareness to the benefits of producing and patronising our own well-made goods.
She recorded a song, ‘Nyame Enndi Ye Abro’ (God Won’t Forsake Us) to help bolster her crusade

Giving details of the upcoming three-day fair, Ms Arthur said there would be a series of floats from Kasoa and Bawdwiase down to Mallam, Dansoman and Kaneshie in Accra to create awareness before the fair starts.

“We would also live radio and television broadcasts from the fair to enable exhibitors promote their wares to the public.”

Apart from Ms Arthur, some other entertainment entities and personalities have also embarked on the task of getting the public to patronise made-in-Ghana products.

Ms Arthur, who hit the music scene in 2014 with her ‘Kyere Me Kwan’ album that featured OJ and Esther Smith initiated her campaign in that same year.

She said it was good other entertainment-related people have come on board to help push the made-in Ghana agenda and urged all not to give up the struggle to help make our people buy our own stuff.

Ms Arthur is also carrying on with her nationwide 50-Church Patriotic Tour project themed ‘Consume What We Produce, Produce What We Consume.’

Popular pastor, Mensa Otabil, and his church International Central Gospel Church are among 15 shareholders and directors of defunct Capital Bank sued over the collapse of the bank in 2017.

The Plaintiffs Messrs Vish Ashiagbor and Eric Nana Nipah from PricewaterhouseCoopers say the bank’s collapse was a “direct result’ of defendants’” “‘misgovernance” and “willful” breaches of banking regulations.

The writ of summons named the ‘sins’ of each of the defendants and confirmed a financial autopsy report that said the failed bank’s founder William Ato Essien used depositors funds as his ‘personal piggy bank’.

In one such ‘personal piggy bank’ transactions, Ato Essien request for ¢130m loan to be given to an investment company he is related to, Capital and More Ltd.

But the senior management of the bank declined the disbursement which was public funds from the Bank of Ghana injected to save the troubled bank in 2015.

Enter the revered Pastor Mensa Otabil who as Board chairman provided a personal guarantee that the loan to the founding CEO’s other company will be repaid.

The statement of claim said the money given out in 2015 has not been paid after three years.

The writ faulted the pastor for guaranteeing the disbursement explaining, he was “conscious at all material times” that it was in breach of banking regulations as well as against the “expressed opposition” of the senior managers.

That ¢130m was not the only loan William Ato Essien took from his bank. There was another ¢29.9m he caused to be granted companies he owned or was related to.

He later came for another ¢78.9m in loans.

The failed CEO who is under criminal investigations has been asked in the writ to cough up more than ¢580m in shareholder loans he took as well as loans granted to companies he owned or is related to.

In another episode of severe and acute culture of mismanagement at the defunct bank, the directors and shareholders kept ¢482m in “non-existent investments” on their books.

The central bank would later grant their request for this imaginary investment to be converted into actual loans to be paid by the shareholders.

To date, a shareholder Otabil and Associates founded by the pastor and management expert has been unable to pay ¢51.6m which is they share of the loan converted from the imaginary investments.

Otabil’s church, the International Central Gospel Church, which was a shareholder in the bank has also failed to pay ¢51.6m which is also their share of the ¢482m loan.

A third defendant, Oheneba Osei-Akoto took a ¢2.42m loan in December 2016 using his residential property at Regimanuel Gray Estates, East Airport, Accra as collateral.

The defendant and shareholder has failed to pay back the money.

The plaintiffs said these defendants are responsible for ‘serious financial loss’ at the defunct Capital bank.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on Saturday with visiting Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and the two leaders agreed to introduce a new vitality into bilateral relations.

President Akufo-Addo is on a state visit to China. He will also participate in the 2018 Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum scheduled for 3-4 September.

Noting the long tradition of Sino-Ghanaian friendship, Xi said China has always regarded Ghana as a reliable friend and a good common development partner. Bilateral relations have played a leading role in the development of Sino-African relations.

Both sides should breathe new life into their relationships and enrich them further, make high-level visits more frequent and continue to understand and support each other, Xi said.

Ghana is invited to participate in the construction of the belt and the road and to join the Asian Investment Bank for Infrastructure.

China is ready to create synergy between the two countries’ development strategies, expand cooperation in various fields and strengthen interpersonal and cultural exchanges.

Both sides should strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional affairs to better protect the common interests of both countries and developing countries, Xi said.

For his part, Akufo-Addo said that the friendship between Ghana and China, forged by the oldest generations of leaders of both countries, was unbreakable. Ghana voted in favor of the resumption of the seat of the People’s Republic of China at the United Nations and the one-China policy.

Akufo-Addo said that Ghana is ready to deepen bilateral relations, to participate actively in the construction of the Belt and its roads and to give new impetus to bilateral cooperation. China, along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, plays an important role in peace and development in the world. China offers an important opportunity for stability and revitalization of Africa, he said.

Ghana will always be China’s trusted friend in Africa, Akufo-Addo said. After the talks, the two presidents attended the signing of cooperation documents.

Meanwhile, the Chinese police band surprised President Akufo-Addo with a musical treat by playing one of his favourite songs ‘Oye’ – [God is good].

The Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) has urged Ghanaian musicians to keep their cool as royalty payment for June and July this year will delay in reflecting in their accounts.

In a press release issued by its Public Relations Officer, Prince Tsegah and cited by Gospelhub.com, the organisation said the development is blameable on the fact that “GHAMRO experienced some problems in receiving the blank Levy cheque from the state.”

However, “GHAMRO has regularised the issue and very soon members will be credited with their first royalties for the year 2018.”

Mr. Tsegah therefore apologised for any inconvenience caused and encouraged members to be patient because “plans are far advanced for prompt distribution”.

Read the full statement below:

For immediate release.

The Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) wishes to inform its cherished members that royalty payment due to right owners for the JUNE –JULY season will soon be distributed. This delay is due to the fact that GHAMRO experienced some problems in receiving the blank Levy cheque from the state. GHAMRO has regularized the issue and very soon members will be credited with their first royalties for the year 2018. GHAMRO wishes to seize this opportunity to apologise for the delay, and to encourage members to be patient as plans are far advanced for prompt distribution.

This delay has been occasioned by processing difficulties with the State Agencies through which the Blank levy is paid. GHAMRO wishes to assure its members that these `difficulties have been ironed out after meetings and discussions with the respective offices in charge of the release of funds. GHAMRO will soon send bulk text messages confirming payment date and processes to its members.

Legendary Ghanaian Gospel musician, Yaw Sarpong has confirmed he is prepared to feature in the campaign song of any political party should the opportunity avail itself.

According to him, his decision to do it is not because he has finally found trust in political parties in the country or is a member of any of them but it is borne out of business.

Yaw Sarpong said this in response to a question as to whether he is ready to do music for any political party in the country.

“Music is my work and I need money as well so I will do it, take the money and offer some to God”, he revealed in an interview with Sikka Fm monitored by MyNewsGh.com’s Syxtus Eshun in Kumasi.

To him, music is his business hence he is ready to record a song for any political party on the basis of business and not affiliation.

“I will do it with my band, therefore, any amount that will be sufficient for the operational cost of the band group is oK”, he affirmed.

On the other hand, Yaw Sarpong made it clear that he is not ready to tolerate any “God Bless You” as a form of appreciation for the job.

When asked which political party he belongs to, the legend said, “For politics, I have no affiliation because politicians are some kind of people who can easily mess up your music career with their utterances. Today one will say this and the next day the other will say something else”. He told Tony Montana the host of the show “Flavour Zone”.

Yaw Sarpong who has 26 albums to his credit is set to release yet another song with Sarkcess Music Boss Sarkodie this year.

As a further testament to its leadership and popular acceptance as the foremost music content distribution platform, Boomplay Music, Africa’s fastest growing music streaming and download platform has recorded a milestone 10 million installations off Google Play store.

Boomplay Music’s unique and user-friendly application has made it a top choice for consumers of music and entertainment content. The platform has given millions of Africans unfettered access to millions of songs, videos and entertainment trending news.

It has also provided a rallying point in the digital music ecosystem by driving more customers to mobile music consumption. Boomplay Music’s international best practice in ensuring providers make revenues off their content has made it the toast of local and international artistes and content providers. This is in addition to making sure that intellectual property is protected using the best tech innovations.

It would be recalled that the music content platform was adjudged the ‘Best African App’ at the AppsAfrica Awards, which held in Cape Town, South Africa in November 2017. Boomplay emerged as the number one app in Africa from a category strongly contested by other popular apps including Carter – SA, Asorbia – Ghana, Truecaller Africa and Feastfox – SA.

About the new milestone, Sadiq Abdulai Abu, -Boomplay Country Manager, Ghana, said, “This is an important achievement as we work towards entrenching the power of Africa’s No. 1 music app in Ghana. Boomplay provides a refreshingly different experience for music talents and their fans and we look forward to creating a mutually rewarding relationship with the entire Ghanaian music and entertainment ecosystem.

On how the platform has maintained its top position, Mr Oye Akideinde, Regional Director (West Africa), said, “Single companies do not build great ecosystems. Thank you to all the individuals and partners who contributed to Boomplay Music’s 10 Million Installs on Google Play Store. We couldn’t have done it without you. We keep improving based on your feedback, which is so vital for our service’s growth. This new milestone is a step closer to building the largest and most sustainable music ecosystem for artist and fans in Africa’’.

Rising from a modest number of installs when it launched in Google Play store in 2016, the platform rose to 1 million installations in January 2017 and by November of same year, it had risen to 5 million. Its fast-growing streak of installations doubled in June, 2018 to 10 million installations making its total user base 29 million. Boomplay Music is now tipped to reach the 40 million total user base by December 2018 confirming the streaming service as Africa’s fastest rising music service.